Killing Softly ✞ (gxg)

28 | it all began with you.

The sun cast over the very top edge of the castle, the lands no longer covered in snow but rather bursting with healthy grass and colorful flowers.

The mountains stood tall and majestic behind the castle, their slopes and crescents scattered with yellow and pink and purple flowers with a few patches of red here and there. The air no longer held an icy crispness, but rather a warm coziness, not a single cloud drifting in the cerulean, springtime sky.

The wind picked up and blew the bouncy curls of Holden whose usual black outfit was accompanied with a white bow tie. He looked to Rose who stood before him, her chestnut hair laying neatly on her shoulders. She wore a black suit with a white tie, and the guard grinned, his eyes following her hands that rose to the girl standing in front of her.

Holden's eyes moved to Lily's face that was veiled with a white veil that led down to the beautiful white dress that she wore, having designed the floral patterns on it herself. She was also the one who planted all the flowers across the land with her bare hands.

Rose's svelte fingers took the hem of the veil and lifted it upwards over the girl's curled blonde hair, revealing her beautiful face.

Those same pink lips spread into a smile, although the smile was slightly different due to two very tiny fangs poking from either side of her front teeth. Rose felt her heart clench at how adorable her little fangs looked, and as her eyes traveled up the flawless, fair skin of the girl's face, her heart clenched even more at the sight of her eyes.

They were beautiful. They were like liquid diamonds, completely silver and shimmering in the sunlight that cast across them, although the girl's smile somehow shone even brighter. Never before had Rose seen a vampire with silver eyes, but she only found it fitting that that was the color Lily was gifted with. For she was not just any ordinary vampire. She was too full of light, of grace, of compassion, of kindness, and of spirit. The only thing that had changed about her since she morphed was her diet and strength. Even though her eyes were now sparkling diamonds, they still held that vivacious spirit.

She was still Lily. She was still stubborn, still quick-witted, still mischievous, still gracious, still empathetic, and still the love of Rose's life. And in the next few seconds, she would also become her wife as she stood before her on the alter with a bouquet of yellow wildflowers in her hands.

Holden, who had insisted on officiating the wedding of his best mates, grinned widely, looking between the two women in sheer excitement before he gushed, "And you both may now kiss your brides!"

Lily gleamed up at Rose, her eyes bursting with light as the taller woman smiled back down at her with just as much excitement. The brunette gently took hold of the blonde's face, leaning down and pressing her lips against her smiling ones.

The crowd erupted in joyful cheers that caused the two women to smile into the kiss. Rose held her close and kissed her so gently and so lovingly, the kiss that officially united vampires and humans. That was the decree that Rose had sent out as Queen—the unification of the two species by the unification of their marriage.

That's why the crowd looked a bit different than they normally would, for in between the red and golden eyes were blue ones, brown eyes, hazel ones, green ones. Humans and vampires both cheered on the brides from the crowd, clapping and yelling and throwing rice and flowers up into the air. It was a frenzy, and even Holden found himself tearing up at the mere joy of it all; but he was not the only one tearing up, for Lily's mother and father sat on the front row, smiling and clapping their hands while her mother pressed a tissue to her teary eyes.

The two brides finally pulled apart, and Rose held her for a moment, stroking her thumb across the girl's soft cheek. "I love you," she whispered.

Lily grinned, the wind blowing a bit of her shimmery blonde hair over her rosy cheeks. "I love you more."

"Now, tell us who's next!" Holden exclaimed with a wink, causing the crowd to laugh and cheer even more.

Chuckling, Rose stepped aside and watched Lily as she turned around and closed her eyes. The crowd quieted down and listened as she counted to three before throwing the bouquet of flowers behind her, holding her breath and waiting for the crowd to cheer.

When it did, she quickly spun around and immediately a spotted a space in the crowd that the audience had made, a familiar figure standing right in the middle.

It was Peter, his brown bangs hanging over his eyes as he stared down at the bright yellow flowers in his hand in disbelief. Then his dark blue eyes slowly rose and immediately locked with Holden's, a small smile growing on his face.

Rose glanced to Holden with a smug look, giggling at the way the guard blushed and smiled shyly at Peter, his heart swelling in his chest as he suddenly discovered that he, too, had found his mate.

So there it was, Queen Rose thought to herself as she watched Holden walk to Peter and envelop him in a kiss, causing the human and vampire crowd to go wild. Fate had straightened itself out. Eight years after invading the human race and conquering them, shedding so much blood and inflicting so much cruelty, the vampires finally liberated the humans and ordered a state of peaceful coexistence that had been needing to happen for eternity and would also last for eternity.

And as she turned her vivid yellow-green eyes towards her new wife, Lily, who was already smiling at her with her silvery diamond eyes, she smiled and thought to herself, and it all began with you.